Artificial-stone block



(No Model.)

G. M. GRAHAM. ARTIFICIAL STONE BLOCK.

No. 474,339. Patented May 8, 1892..

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

GEORGE M. GRAHAM, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

ARTIFICIAL-STONE BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,339, dated May 3, 1892.

Application filed December 9, 1889- Renewed November 30, 1891. Serial No. 413,504. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Honston, in the county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented a certain Improved Artificial- Stone Block; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, true, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to artificial stone blocks for architectural or building purposes, as well as for street and sidewalk pavements, being an improvement on a patent granted to me April 16, 1889, No. 401,492.

The said improvement consists in the particular formation of the protuberances by which interlocking joints or seams of the building-blocks are attained, the object of which is to so form the profilic protuberances of said blocks as to permit joining them in close proximity on all the sides or faces of the seam, to reduce the binding material for the same and increase the strength of the same.

That the invention maybe fully understood, reference will be had to the annexed specification and the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a face view of a building or paving block, as-above referred to. Fig. 2 is an under side view of the same. Figs. 3 and 4: are side views of said block, and Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are respectively side and plan views of a solitary building-block which forms the unit of the compound blocks.

Like letters of reference denote like parts in the drawings and specification.

In Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, a paving or building block of a polygonal profile is represented. The same has grooves a impressed in the face side A thereof. Said grooves imitate the beveled edges a of the hexagonal prismoidal side profiles of said blocksthat is, they resemble a hexagonal configuration, which is the continuation of the hexagonallybeveled edges and sides.

Each block resembles six prisms in the face side thereof and is three layers thick or high. Thus in all it is the equivalent of eighteen solitary prismoids such as are shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, with the exception of the upper layer, which is flattened and beveled in the combination-block. Substantially the said blocks have a face, bottom, and sides. Two

opposite sides are alike and the other two are the reverse of each other. Fig. 3 represents a view of the side indicated at B, Fig. 1, whereas Fig. at represents either one of the sides 0 0. (See Fig. 1.) The side D is the exact reverse or counterpart of B-that is, D has prismoidal depressions, Where B has projections, which projections will fit into said depressions when the side B of one block is joined onto the side D of another block. It is the particular prismoidal form which enables the engagenient'of said blocks, allows of a close contact of all the faces of the jointed sides, and imparts greatest compactness and durability to the joints. These features are obtained by forming the sides of said blocks in the manner as shown in and by the solitary block, Figs. 5, 6, and 7. Said block consists of a polygon having two square and par-' allel faces I), the sides of which are equal to the sides of hexagons, which determine the distance between said square sides. (See Fig. 7.) The faces 0, lying to each side of the faces 5, are uniform and of oblong hexagonal shape and meet under an angle of 120, and the termination of each of said faces at said angles forms a side of the parallelograms d. The solitary prisnioid consists of twosquare faces I), eight oblong hexagonal faces 0, and four parallelograinmic faces (Z. The faces 01 admit of joining theblocks in close proximity on all sides, so that the seam of inortaror cement which is to bind said blocks is of a uniform thickness all around.

The grouping of the blocks, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and at, facilitates the setting of pavements or the erection of structures in so far as less seams are required in the construction thereof.

The compound blocks are pressed in molds and afterward dried. The face side. as above stated, is grooved to imitate the solitary hexagons; but the surrounding sides are virtually the equivalent of so many solitary blocks, and the prismoidic projections thereof will fit into the analogous depressions in the same manner as solitary blocks would be joined. It will be noticed in the drawings and from the preceding description that the joints are strongest at the base, or, in other words, the projections taper into the depressions, which condition makes the structure at the joints erases;

almost equally as strong as the solid blocks, and by joining the blocks equally close on all sides comparatively small quantities of binding material are required with this improved article of building material.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A building or paving block adapted to be used singly or in groups, having its opposite faces 6 1) square, the faces 0 of oblong hexag In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 15 presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE M. GRAHAM. \Vitnesses:

WILL WuTHoMAs, I. S. ROBERTS. 

